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Sunday, 23 February 2014

Author Spotlight on Jacquelyn Ayres!

For anyone that has yet to meet Jacquelyn you are in for a treat. This is her official author bio!

I am a Domestic Engineer (born and raised in NJ) whose sole responsibility is to guide three young impressionable kids into becoming phenomenal adults. This challenging, yet rewarding work requires a lot of love (coffee), patience (wine) and determination (periodic exorcisms). I work all of this magic in the beautiful state of New Hampshire.

Before becoming a Domestic Goddess (not really), I spent over a decade working in the medical field where I wore more hats than the Queen.

I have had a love for the written word and the great escape it provides since I was a little girl. When I wasn't reading about people and the places they lived, I was creating my own characters and adventures. Finally, I have been putting a pen to paper allowing my characters to come to life. When I don't have a pen and paper in hand,you can often find me laughing at the conversations my characters are having in my head.

Now she forgets to add into that that she is, in the very best way possible, as crazy as a box of frogs, once she gets to know you, you can expect……..

·Mad dances on your twitter timeline!

·Arcs in your e mail! Whoo Hooo

·

Emoji’s and love notes ;-) in your morning inbox

She is honestly one of the most ‘giving’ people we have ever come across and here at BNW we are happy to call her our friend.

And –she’s as you may have guessed, an author!!

You need to check out her work!!

Goodbye Caution (lost and found #1) released in November 2013

Becca Campbell is a mother, friend, and widow to a war hero (may he rot in hell). She just wants to raise her daughter right and keep her bed-and-breakfast afloat in this economy. Her traumatic past leaves her with no desire for a relationship—until Grayson James walks through her door. He’s not the type of man you can easily say “no” to. Becca can’t quite understand the pull she feels toward him. But then his controlling nature starts to push her away—and into Ray McNeil’s comforting arms. Which is right where Ray has always wanted her.

Who will Becca choose?

Will she finally give in to her feelings for Ray, or continue the tumultuous relationship with Grayson? Only one thing is certain—either choice will mean saying goodbye to caution.

Jacquelyn has lots of other works in progress too! Check out our interview with her to see what’s coming up!

Hi Jacquelyn and welcome to the virtual HQ of BNW! Im sorry for the mess *shuffles tour packets and Arcs out of the way*

So my first question starts at the beginning with Goodbye Caution. It’s an unusual book, very fast paced, and it touches on some risqué subjects. Where did the idea for Goodbye Caution come from?

When I think back to the very beginning stages of Goodbye Caution, I can't help but chuckle. The Elm Creek Quilt novels by Jennifer Chiaverini inspired me, actually. This wonderful series is based around women who've built their friendships from their common love of quilting. Being a scrap booker myself, I could see the potential in building a series around the love of scrapping. So Becca Campbell and her lovely Bed and Breakfast (that host Scrapbooking weekends) were born. However, once she was, she sort of took over the reigns.

It was not going to be as wholesome as it was set out to be. Becca turned into your everyday, quirky, fun-loving kind of person. I wanted her to be relate-able. Look like most women, have real issues and love the things that other women love. So she's the girl next door with a heart of gold, a great sense of humour, and an effed up past.

Grayson can be demanding, all consuming and overpowering at times, how did you manage to make him so likeable and hot at the same time?

You know, I think having his POV the entire story makes him likeable (to most). I was actually shocked as to how many women are on Team Grayson! He can be a right bastard! But the fact that you get to see his thoughts on things softens him around the edges. You know that he isn't happy with the way he behaves. He has a lot of remorse over his actions and he does try to correct his behaviour a lot. I think if readers didn't see that, there would be a lot more for Team Ray! As far as his hotness is concerned, who doesn't love a confident man? Confidence and sense of humour are a sure fire fit for likeability and hotness!

I think you are right; his acceptance of his mistakes is a very likeable attribute. You've brought us nicely onto Ray........so similar to Gray yet so different. I struggled throughout Goodbye Caution flitting between rooting for Ray, and not. Have you had that response a lot?

Yes I have. Ray is a great character and swoon worthy in his own right. He's not as abrasive as Grayson but you can tell he's a man's man! He's got that rugged charm and great sense of humour. He's calmer than Gray is.

I, of course, happen to love them both.

The readers will learn a lot more about Ray in the next two books and I think everyone in general will be on the fence once again!

People cant wait for Book 2, the very title Goodbye Secrets hints that lots of questions will be answered! Can you tell people a little about your writing process? Do you pre-plan your books or did the idea come to you in dribs and drabs?

I think a little bit of both now that I have quite a few under my belt (not all published yet). For The Lost & Found Series, I had the idea that I mentioned and it just took over from there. Most of the time, that's how it is. The different paths my characters lead me down always surprise me. Though I get ideas for books, I just jot the idea down. I'm not one who outlines the story because I never know where the story is actually going to lead me. I do jot down conversations that happen between characters that are not necessarily happening at the part of the book I'm writing. It will usually get weaved in later when it's appropriate.

Fun Fact, by the way, this series was not only hand written but it was written as one entire book! lol. I typed it all up and said....uhh...no! This is three books, not one. It could've been stretched to 4 or 5 due to the size of the first two, but I didn't want to drag it out for people.

Hand written? In one huge book? Thats so funny! You must have been engrossed in the story!!

It’s no secret that the series deals with aggressive characters and spousal abuse and the fact that some of the proceeds are donated to a charity to help abused women and children shows it’s a subject you feel strongly about. Can you tell us a little about why you went in this direction and how you do your research?

Yes! It took up residence in several notebooks that I carried around with me EVERYWHERE! Engrossed is an understatement! I lived, breathed, and slept this story.

As far as some of the elements in this book regarding abuse, yes it is something that I do feel strongly about. Most of us, I think, can relate to Becca's character whether we have been the subject of one's abuse or have witnessed a loved one go through it. I knew that when I was creating Becca's character that she would have survived an abusive relationship.

However, being a student of psychology and knowing several different people with various shades of abuse in their background, I wanted to take her character to a different level. What readers need to understand about Becca is that she never gained the strength to walk away (or run) from her abusive husband. She was pulled out of that situation by the powers that be, if you will. So, in return, her psycheis very different than that of a person who did walk away. Though she's kept her distance from other possible relationships, she never really "unlearned" the behaviour patterns of an abused woman.

That is why we see her fall so easily into an obsequious roll. The great thing about Becca, though, is that she does grow through out the series and we all see this when she questions her own reactions to Grayson's temperament. Then she starts putting her foot down. Like I said before, I was surprised as to how many people fell in love with Grayson, but just like Becca, everyone can see that he really isn't mean spirited. His insecurities tend to get in the way of his judgement. I think people will enjoy learning more about Grayson and the reasons behind his behaviour in book #2.

And for your final question, it is also important to know that while I have personal knowledge of this sort of behaviour pattern, I've also confirmed it with a Licensed Social Worker (therapist) who has worked with abused women for over thirty years. Though my book is fiction, I would never write about such a sensitive topic without any knowledge or proper research.

And yes, a portion of my proceeds goes to Emily's Place which is a local shelter, near my town, that is run by YWCA.org. If you would like to donate the YWCA or see how you can help by volunteering, please go to their website to see how you can help!

Obviously being careful of spoilers can you tell us what type of scene you enjoy writing the most??

I love writing from the male POV. Some authors have a difficult time doing it but I find it very freeing and fun. It's boring to act like a "lady" all of the time. But you asked about what type of scenes. I love writing the heart to heart scenes when you really get to the bottom of things. That's when a character truly shines for me!

If you absolutely had to, would you be team Grayson or Ray? You HAVE to.......

OMG . . . I really can't! You can't make me! I love them both too much!

LOL Ok I won’t make you......

What have you got in store for your readers?

I'm so excited about this year! There are so many things happening that will be leading right into 2015! Right now I am in the middle of finishing off my novella for The Southern Seduction box set that 12 of us Indie Romance Author Chicks are collaborating on. Very excited for that! We will be releasing that on April 14, 2014.

Roughly around the same time, I will be releasing the last instalment of The Lost & Found Series. However, I think we will hear from Becca again in a prequel as the requests are already coming in.

In June, I will be introducing my newest series to everyone called The GEG series. These will all be standalones based around 5 best girlfriends (2 being sisters). Each book will focus on one of the friends but still have the others intertwined. As with my other books, I touch upon a subject that causes great grief in the first instalment, but it's not a dark read like Caution and Secrets can be at times.

So far "Under Contract", which is the first book based on Mitch and Charlotte, has been the most fun to write! It's really got a lot of obnoxiously, in-your-face, laugh-out-loud moments (well, to me! lol). These characters were so funny to write. It was really great to step into a lighter story after The Lost & Found Series. I am currently working on "In the Mix", the 2nd book.

Other than that, I have been enjoying being a part of an amazing group of indie authors called Indie Romance Author Chicks. We started out as a small sprinting group, cheering each other on. Helping one another to stay positive. It's grown nicely and we continue to keep that positive attitude and try to send those vibes out to others. Speaking of sending things out.... we are formulating a plan to send all or most of us to one fabulous location in 2015 for our first IRAC signing event! We're all very excited about this! Stay tuned!

Oh that will be amazing, any chance it could be my side of the pond??

I only wish!!!

Well chatting has been an absolute pleasure. The novella sounds exciting and I can’t wait for Goodbye Uncertainty and the GEG series.

Claire, I'd like to thank you for all of these wonderful questions. I really enjoyed myself and appreciate you taking the time! Thank You!